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Review: Hi, Koo! by Jon J. Muth

Join Koo, a panda, on an exploration of the seasons through haiku poems. The book begins with fall and haikus about fall leaves, wind, and rain. Winter comes next with poetry about snow and ice. Spring is bridged into with a glimpse of crocuses and then grass, insects, and birds. Summer arrives with fireflies, flowers and water. In 26 poems, this is a lovely celebration of the small things that make each season special.

Muth has created haikus that are beautifully written. They capture small moments in time and also point to the larger importance of these moments. They continue Muth’s Buddhist focus in his picture books, offering children a way to see these times of mindfulness as important and worthy of exploration.

Muth’s watercolor illustrations have a wonderful spirit to them. The palette changes colors as the seasons change with spring bouncing in green especially after the white cold of winter. He captures the seasons so well that your attitude changes with each season as well.

A stellar collection of haiku, this book will invite young readers to see nature and seasons in a fresh new way. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

One thought on “Review: Hi, Koo! by Jon J. Muth”

I must say I was a bit underwhelmed by the illustrations in this book (I ordered a copy sight unseen) though I am a huge fan of Muth’s art and thought he should have won the Caldecott Medal (rather than the honor he received) for ZEN’S SHORTS. I am one of those out there who has always felt THE HELLO GOODBYE WINDOW, which won is overrated. I also loved the art he produced for Mo Willems in their collaboration on the achingly beautiful CITY DOG COUNTRY FROG. Still I do love the haiku in this new release and applaud you on another splendid write-up.